Coupler-centering device



June l2, 1928.

R. E. POWERS COUPLER CENTERING DEVICE Filed Nov. l5. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l l l I I l.

1,673,469 R. E. POWERS coUPLER CENTRING DEVICE Filed Nov. l5. 1.922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 47 Vm' r'l I I June l2, 1928.

INVENTOR HrerEPawelS v BYMM l WORN Patented June 12, 1928.

UNiTEDsTATEs EQBERT E. POWERS, or NEW YORK, N. Y., ssIGNoE To UNI@ METAL raon renv, or cHIoAeo, rLLiNors, ii coRroEiirIoN or DELAWARE.

PATENT oFFicE.

'UCTS COM- COUPLER-CENTERING DEVICE.

Application led November 15, `19.22. Seri-a1 No. 601,124.

rI`his invention relates to new and useful improvements in coupler centering devices, and the object of the invention Ais to pro-` vide a simple, inexpensive andvdurable device which will automatically return a coupler i'roin'a position of" lateral displacementy to a predetermined position. i

A further object is to provide a centering device which will be easily and readily attached to the standard type o'fstriker plate with a. minimum amount or" labor.

A still further object is to provide al device which will be positive in its action and sate under all conditions.

In my invention I provide a coupler shank which is link supported, the links being arranged to swing andaccommodate any lateral movement of the coupler shank. The links are supported by a distance piece which is litted to a striker plate andheld in position by a bolt. vThis bolt is provided as a positioning device for the links and alsoactsy as a coupler shank support, should any breakage occur in the swingingcouplernde.- vice due to faulty workmanship. It also acts as a tie bar `between the side trames of the striker plate and vdistributes any severe stress caused by the coupler shank knocking against the side trames evenly Vbetweeny the side t'rai'iies, thus strengthening the construction. i i

In the drawings which illustrate the inveny tion.

Figure l is a front elevation of the device attached toa distance ypiecewhich is slidably mounted on a striker plate. v

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 2-2 Figure 1. n

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the device attached to a distance piece which is riveted to a striker plate.

Figure 4; is a sectional elevation of the device taken on the line 4-4 Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the device attached to a one piece striker plate.

Figure G is a sectional elevation taken on the line 6-6 Figure 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 11 designates the end sill of a car to which is attached a striker plate 12, provided with a space 13 in which the coupler shank 14 may move vertically and horizontally. Between the side frames 15 of the striker plate is a distance piece 17. The distance piece can be made as in Figuresl and 2, 4that is slidably mounted on the ledges, 16 Y and held in position by a bolt 1S passing through the side trames l5 or it can be made as shownin F iguresv 3 and d, e.) riveted to the sideframes l5 bythe rivets 18a. A4

still' `further l.modification can be made by casting the distance pieceintegral with the striker plate as shown in Figures 5 and'ti;y

Bearings lorwlugs 19 are cast inthe distance piece, see .Figures l and 3, or cast directly tothe side frames as shown in Figure 5 tor supporting the swivelhng links 20. The

links are provided withtrunnions 2l at one Y end, said ytrunnions being arrangedto swivel yin the bearings y19.` Theother end of the links have trunnions 22 on which is carried the coupler shank support 23;` The couplery 4 shank is placed between the lugs 24, cast ii'itegral with the support 23, so that any movement of the coupler shank will be transmitted to the support 23,Whicliwill swivel lon the :links 19. 'In Figures `l, 2,3 and 4' the distance piece 17 passes through an aperture 26 in the support 23. In Figures 5 and 6 the support 23 passes throughan aperture 26b in the distance piece.

In the drawings I have shown thecentres of the bearings `19 supporting the link 211 closer together vthan the bearings 25 of the support 23. The bearings 25 engage .with the link trunnions`22. This causes the links the device is in the normal position.y Any to make aslight angle Withthe yvertical whenl latei'alnioveinent of `thecoupler shank support brings one link nearer the yvertical position, but increases the angle ofthe other or f viceversa, and` immediately f the coupler is released the device 4returns to its normal position. The bolt 18 in Figure l is also arranged to support the coupler should any breakage occur due to faulty workmanship.

the distance piece, links oscillatably mounted e in said bearings and depending therefrom, a coupler shank support oscillatably mountbyz'mthellowerportions o saidlinksand a distancepiecef extending, between the' lower potihns of thefsaidlra'mes andloca'ted `intermediaft thecar'nier.A f

4. :In a `boupler ingia striker having yspaced side frames a distance' piece spanning the'ldistanrrze` e'y tween'athe Iframes 'and' attached thereto, a coupler .1.s1pport, Landi' i links swingably susrpendinglfthe sulpportlfroin ythe distance piece-- independently of'` the r striker.`

5. `In Y. tcoupler Acenteringdevice y colnpisl ing sa.strikerfhavlngspaeed sidevframes wlth a edgelon each fra'menwdistance 'plecefsup'g ported upon said: ledges and spanning the distance` betWenL-zthel; rfranuesA and 'attached thereto, a coupler 1 supporg'and ylinks swingably'slispendilig .the .su portfrom* thedisl' tance` piece independent y off the; striker.

6. In a coupler centeringwdevice"conprisf' ingwa striker having-1 spaced side -frames,` e distancepiece spanmgi the 'distance'hetweenf the; iframes; andi lattached thereto, a 'coupler support straddlngf the sdis'tanc' piece,l lSand linlszr,` swingablyf suspendingrnthe `sup ort? from.' 'the distance piece' independently,oil'J the f I` n t. .l l.:V

7 .1 In 1 a;.cup1e'r A; centering: devicecoinpris ingastriker,fhavingvspaced s'idefframes, a

distancefpiece spanningth' distanceibetweenl the`^raines` and attachedzthe'reto'by a bolt? centering device colrfprisfv I pessin through said frames und said piece, a coup er"t supportfandflinks swingaloly` suspending the support from the distance ieee independently of the striker, said bnlt ormfcouplerffupotl 8.'Inabou'plerA centering evic comprisingastriker lhaving spaced' side frames, a distance piece spanning the distance between ,themmescandattached thereto by a bolt passing through ysaid frames and said piece, a ouplersupport, 'and links swingably susu pending the'supp'ort frhin the distance piece independently 'of thestriker, said blt so positioned ast'olretein the'coupler support, distance "piece fand Alii'iks'fin properfrelutive re' lesions y- L y 9. In a railway car,thefcon1bin`ation of a stizike'fl zrV distance "piece rigidly attached theret'z'oj5v @and ay icopler' slip'port swingably` e the dependingfwall 'portion's'of 'suspendedlfrom" said distance `piece `mde` pendently of'said strikerf` L 1,0."In a railway car, the" combination of a car Ipart, an *emergency coupler supportA comi prising its 'movement laterally l offthe- 'cerf/and links swingahly suspending; ithe Y coupler support fromthe elne'rgency'couplerk supporti 11; In a yrailway 4can the combinat'on' offl;

spaced apart Walls; a coupler supportV i positioned `between' said Walls'fso 'as to permit port positioned 'between said i wallsso as to pellnit Aitsmovement"laterally of the car and so' as'ito restrict its mvenlent longitudi-A nally/fof' the'lcar, and links :swingfibly leuspendingth coupler" .uppo'r't frmthe emerprsing "Bacoupler' supportswingably sus-r` l pende'dfron'r'a carfpart)hyilinks'haviniop; i positelydisposed trunnions at each en` tie" trunnionswat' Alonefend of "each link 'being 90 spaced further apart than the trunnions at' `the opposite end 'of the 'gamelink witness "wvhereofg' I have 'hcreuntof'set my hand. l

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